galaxiafandomcom-20200223-history
Neldoras Cityfleet
Settled in the calmest waters of the great Jungian Sea, right up against a couple small nameless islands, is a pretty huge cluster of seaborne and airborne vessels- the Neldoras flotilla. Built from whatever scraps and salvage could be thrown together, the "beggar's fleet" as it's occasionally known has become quite powerful and large for a nation founded pretty much entirely by raggedy refugees and banished political dissidents. But by focusing wholly on the waters, and plying them for deep-sea salvage, they've carved out a nice, comfortable niche for themselves in the world. And then international communications were redeveloped, and life got a lot more complex. It used to be that the Neldorans could enjoy quiet solitude, separated by thousands of miles of open seas and skies, sequestered in a nice isolated spot which was easily defended. With a veritable mountains of wrecks to build new ships from, and plenty of waters to fish from, plus the nearby islands to farm for fruits and vegetables, it was considered by many to be something of an idyllic paradise- presuming one forgets about the enormous amount of effort required to keep a few tens of thousands of ships afloat, the care required in rationing out pretty limited non-fish food supplies for millions of people to make sure nobody starves, and then there's all the other high standards people have for civilizations! Comforts, education, fuel, all kinds of things that were quite a pain to make work. But the Neldorans made it work, and they were happy with it, especially when they were being left alone. The advent of planet-wide communications and transplanetary travel forced the Neldorans out of their humble niche, the other nations not only desiring their territory but lucrative salvage and fishing operations. A whole lot of ships went down in the Jung's waters during the wars, and since the Airstream is nowhere near the Jung a fair number of skylands went down under too; even centuries later there's a wealth of stuff that hasn't rusted away just waiting to be dredged up, dragged up, and torn apart to fuel modern industries. By dealing almost exlusively with the Kelduscans, the Inixians, and the Kossacks- the only groups not plotting their subjugation- the Neldorans were able to derive huge profits from local industries and procure and build up significant defensive measures. With critical upgrades and advancements to their military and civilian infrastructure, engineering, and magineering programs, they've been able to not only maintain their own independence, but increase the size of their flotilla by absorbing smaller fleets. Thanks to this, they are the single largest terrestrial naval force in the known universe. Though deep-sea salvage and mining ops are what they're most well known for, what really brings in money is that Neldoras is the only reliable source for one of the most desirable consumable ever known- chocolate. The theobroma cacao, or cocoa tree, doesn't really naturally grow anywhere else in Charybdis. Neldoras' islands are the only ones with the necessarily consistent weather and soil conditions to mass produce cocoa plants; other places try, but they inevitably either produce inferior quality cocoa or have to create it through synthetic means. Neldoran chocolate is the only high quality natural chocolate available. It fetches a very high price in virtually every nation it's sold in, and contributes to the nation-fleet's wealth more than any other industry. It is, subsequently, the most heavily protected industry- two Bismarck-class battleships, three aerial fortresses, and hundreds of smaller ships protect the islands at all times. Only government-approved specialists are allowed anywhere near the cocoa tree farms, and one of the most severe crimes one can commit in Neldoras is to mess with the giant bees that pollenate the island flora. Being as their entire civilization is a series of independent vessels, Neldoras has ultimately evolved into a pretty straightforward democratic society. Every ship is governed by its own Captain, who earns the job through practical rather than political means, but acts as a representative of that ship's interests in the whole of the fleet. These tens of thousands of Captain-Representatives, every few years, get together on host ships and split off into groups of like-minded individuals to elect Rear Admirals, who form the Civilian Admiralty Council. And then from this council, a Grand Admiral is chosen to be supreme president-like figure for life or until they screw up enough for the Council to have them removed. Neldoran Operations Neldoran Foreign Relations Uwibami Back to Main Page